Stories in the Sky

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In this activity, learners create their own constellations and star patterns and write a short, descriptive story explaining the significance of their star pattern/constellation. Then, learners can view their constellations in a homemade "planetarium" and share their stories aloud. This activity is part of a collaboration between NASA and the Navajo that also included videos that can be watched online. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • Worksheets
  • Colored pencils, crayons, and/or markers
  • Star stickers (optional)
  • Instructions on how to create your own planetarium
  • Pens or sharp pencils to poke star patterns into the walls of the homemade planetarium
  • Flashlight
  • 4 mil black plastic sheeting
  • 1 large roll of duct tape
  • 1 large black plastic trash bag (to fit over fan)
  • 1 window or floor level fan with extension cord

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Astronomy
      • Stars and Galaxies
  • Mathematics
    • Algebra
      • Patterns

Informal Categories

  • Arts and Crafts

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read
  • hear
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Links STEM to other topics of interest such as arts and humanities
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Culture, ethnicity, and gender

  • Native American

    • Explicity developed for this group

Other

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights: